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NATO 60th anniversary demonstration |
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 NATO will mark its 60th anniversary this coming April with a series of celebratory events, including a conference of political and military leaders in Strasbourg. Campaigners from across Europe believe this is an occasion for protest not celebration, and we will come together to counter this with a programme of activities. We will demonstrate that NATO is a dangerous relic of the past, which promotes rather than diminishes the likelihood of conflict.
The activities will include a demonstration on Saturday 4th April, an international conference from Thursday 2nd April to Sunday 5th April, direct action and civil disobedience, and an international youth camp from Wednesday 1st April to Sunday 5th April.
Book your ticket on the coach to Strasbourg
CND and Stop the War Coalition are running several
coaches to the NATO 60 protests. The coach for
those wanting to join the demonstration will leave
London on 3 April at 9am and depart Strasbourg
on Sunday 5 April at either 10am or 7pm. Seats
cost £70, plus a £3 booking fee. Call Stop the War Coalition on 0207 278 6694 to book. Other transport options for those
wanting to join the conference may become available.
Appeal agreed in Stuttgart 5th October 2008
No to war
No to NATO
On the occasion of the sixtieth anniversary of the NATO military organisation, we appeal to all people to come to Strasbourg and Kehl in April 2009, to protest against NATO’s aggressive military and nuclear policies, and assert our vision of a just world free of war.
NATO is an increasing obstacle to achieving world peace. Since the end of the Cold War, NATO has reinvented itself as a tool for military action by the “international community”, including the promotion of the so-called “war on terror”. In reality it is a vehicle for US-led use of force with military bases on all continents, bypassing the United Nations and the system of international law, accelerating militarisation and escalating arms expenditure – NATO countries account for 75% of global military expenditure. Pursuing that expansionist agenda since 1991, designed to advance strategic and resource interests, NATO has waged war in the Balkans, under the guise of so-called “humanitarian war”, and has waged seven years of brutal war in Afghanistan, where the tragic situation is escalating and the war has expanded into Pakistan.
In Europe NATO is worsening tensions, feeding the arms race with so-called “missile defence”, a massive nuclear arsenal and a nuclear first strike policy. EU policy is increasingly tied to NATO. NATO’s ongoing and potential expansion into eastern Europe and beyond, and its “out of area” operations are making the world a more dangerous place. The conflict in the Caucasus is a clear indication of the dangers. Each advance of the NATO border increases the possibility of war, including the use of nuclear weapons.
To achieve our vision of a peaceful world, we reject military responses to global and regional crises – these are part of the problem not part of the solution. We refuse to live under the terror of nuclear weapons, and reject a new arms race. We must decrease military expenditure – directing resources instead to meeting human needs. We must close down all foreign military bases. We oppose all military structures used for military intervention. We must democratise and demilitarise the relations between peoples and establish new forms of peaceful cooperation to build a more secure and just world.
We call on you to spread this message in your communities and movements, to come to Strasbourg and Kehl and to make this vision a reality. We believe that a world of peace is possible.
No to war
No to NATO
Signed:
1. Bombspotting, Belgium
2. Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND)
3. CAMPAIGN GENOA 2001 GREECE
4. Catalan stop the war coalition
5. Centre of Peace Studies of Justicia i Pau, Spain
6. Comité de Surveillance OTAN, Belgium
7. Cooperation for Peace, Germany
8. Dissent (France)
9. Faellesskabet for Menneskets Udvikling, Denmark
10. Federal Committee Peace Counsel, Germany
11. Humanist Party Switzerland
12. International Association of Lawyers Against Nuclear Arms, Europe (IALANA)
13. International Network of Engineers and Scientists for Global Responsibility (INES)
14. International Peace Bureau (IPB)
15. International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW)
16. Mouvement de la paix, France
17. Neradaru, CR
18. Peace & Neutrality Alliance, Ireland
19. Stop the War Coalition, GB
20. Stop the War Coalition, Greece
21. The Campaign for the Accountability of Amerucan Bases – CAAB, GB
22. Union Pacifiste de France (UPF)
23. Vredesactie, Belgium
24. War Resisters International (WRI)
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